


Wily Yankee

by havisham



Category: Original Work
Genre: 1990s, A copy of A Separate Peace is stuffed in someone's back pocket, Anal Sex, Blow Jobs, Boarding School, Bullying, Enemies to Lovers, M/M, Semi-Public Sex, Shower Sex, Smut 4 Smut Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:42:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23710102
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/havisham/pseuds/havisham
Summary: Theo stooped down and whispered in Bart’s ear. “If you can stop being a dick for one minute, I’ll let you fuck me. In the old locker room upstairs.”Then he straightened up and grinned. “You know, so you can practice for your future loveless marriage.”
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character, Uptight Boy's School Prefect/Classmate With a Reputation for Promiscuity - Relationship
Comments: 16
Kudos: 95
Collections: Smut 4 Smut 2020





	Wily Yankee

**Author's Note:**

  * For [plastics](https://archiveofourown.org/users/plastics/gifts).



Bart was a person who was saddled with a sense of duty that he knew was eminently exploitable. Like now -- wouldn’t he like to be tucked up in bed, maybe reading last month’s copy of National Geographic and _not_ guiltily jerking off to it? Sure he would. 

Instead, he was stalking down the hall, to the source of the noise complaint. Kirkpatrick, the particular teacher, whose job, strictly speaking, it was to actually check on these things had fobbed it off to him. “You get it, Bart,” he said, already deep into the evening’s libations. “Kids are such shits. Make such a racket. But it’d go over better if one of their own came and told them to knock it off.” 

Bart had accepted his duty with silence, but with his share of resentment. The school was modeled after the private schools of Great Britain, but had sought to modernize itself for the late 20th century, but had done a slapdash job of it and there were even rumors that the school would soon close. As Bart strode down the halls, he felt the painted stares of the old principals bore into him. Everything was winding down. Entropy was winning. 

The school had gotten rid of the role of prefect back in the seventies, under a particularly energetic principal. Instead, each dormitory -- there were three -- had a student leader, who was obliged to do things teachers simply didn’t want to do. 

It was more of a burden than an honor. No one respected the student leader -- it wasn’t a role that the popular kids sought out, or were assigned. No, it was sticklers like Bart got stuck with enforcing the rules. Not that he minded, so much. It had probably helped his college admissions. 

But he’d reached his destination -- the room of one of the popular students who made Bart’s life a personal hell. However, the outside of Theo Offsteder’s room was quiet and Bart allowed himself a brief moment of hope. Maybe by now Kirkpatrick had fallen asleep into a drunk stupor and whoever had made the noise complaint had also fucked off. 

Fine. Perfect. That was what Bart would do as well. Except, he put a hand on the doorknob and heard a giggle. Then another, followed by a moan that was of a distinctly different register than the giggle.

All right. That hardly counted. Anyone could giggle in the relative freedom of their room. But then came a heavy thud, like someone had tipped over a desk. Fuckers. Bart threw open the door — the doors here didn’t lock as a matter of course— and took in the scene before him.

When Kirkpatrick had told him to check Theo’s room, Bart knew he should’ve expected this. He and Theo had been best friends -- a long time ago. It had been a different time and they’d been different people. Bart had grown up to be a somber, responsible person. And Theo had grown up to be the kind of person who fucked on a desk until it broke. 

Theo noticed his presence right away, of course. He lifted his curly golden head and looked at Bart under heavy lids and a cynical, fox-like grin. He demanded, “Are you coming in or out, Rangel?”

“Anyone hurt?” 

“No, but these desks sure are cheap.” 

Both Theo and the other boy were as naked as the day they were born. The desk was in pieces on the floor. Bart took a deep breath. 

“You’re going to have to talk to Kirkpatrick about replacing it. They’re probably going to charge your parents for it.” 

Theo shrugged and leaned back against the wall, performing a rangy, vertical sort of odalisque. He was a swimmer, and his body reflected that, with narrow hips and broad shoulders, and skin tanned from the last of the summer sun.

“They don’t care.” 

“Well -- you, get dressed and go,” Bart said to the other boy, whom he didn’t recognize. He could’ve been from a different house, or even from another school. Theo’s ability to lure people in was remarkable. 

The boy didn’t question why he was being spared. He dressed quickly and left with a vague apology to Theo, who didn’t seem inclined to accept it.

Instead, he trained his considerable powers of contempt and scorn upon Bart. “What’s the idea? Why’s Kirkpatrick getting the school golden boy to do bed checks for him?”

“Maybe he thinks you’re finally going to do something worth expelling you for. Wanton property damage, maybe,” Bart offered. He checked himself in Theo’s mirror and rubbed off the smudge on the side of his nose. He watched as Theo threw himself on to his bed and rolled around in it, before sitting up and staring at him. 

Bart tried to ignore the weight — the heat — of Theo’s gaze on him. He wasn’t successful, so tried to hide behind bluster. “Where would your parents send you after this?”

Theo made a frustrated noise. “I don’t know. Military school, I guess. Paula and Stanley have never known what to do with me.”

Bart thought calling your parents by their first names showed a fatal lack of boundaries but he didn’t say so. Instead, he turned back towards Theo.

“Look,” he said. “I’m graduating soon.” 

“So what?” Theo asked. “I’m older than you.” 

“Yeah, you flunk out a lot. Look, I don’t want to go through the trouble of busting you, but couldn’t you just not be —?”

“What? A slut?”

Bart avoided Theo’s eye. It was absolutely true that Theo had a considerable and completely deserved reputation for promiscuity throughout the school and its environs. He was pretty undiscriminating when it came to his choice in partners. Anyone could get a ride with Theo. 

It made it uncomfortable and embarrassing to be his friend. So Bart wasn’t anymore. 

“You said it, not me. People like to talk.” 

“You’re thinking about it. Or worse. I know you, Bart,” Theo said, rolling his eyes. They were surprisingly dark in comparison to his overall fairness. Not that Bart thought about the color of Theo’s eyes very often. 

“Yeah,” Theo continued on, “I bet they talk. Do you have to jack yourself off, hearing about it?”

“No. What? I’m straight,” Bart said, feeling his spine stiffening. He didn’t feel like elaborating about his heterosexuality. It should be self-evident, and besides, he wasn’t the one on trial here. “I only said something because we used to be friends. But I guess you don’t have those anymore.”

Theo looked incredulous. “Says you. I have plenty of friends.” 

“Friends you blow behind the bleachers?” 

“Some of them,” Theo said with a smirk. “Anyway, come on and sit down. Guess we’re due to hash things out between us. Since you feel so strongly about it.” 

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Bart said, sitting down on the chair opposite the bed. He folded his arms against his chest. “I have an essay to write.”

“Fucking boring,” Theo said with a jaw-cracking yawn. “Don’t tell me you can’t finish that up fifteen minutes before class. I’ve paid you to do it.”

“I hate rich kids. You’re a tryhard.”

“Don’t pretend you’re some kind of man of the people. You’re going to this school too _._ ”

“I only can because my uncle works here,” Bart said, irritated. “My mother’s a nurse.”

Theo sighed and beckoned him. “Okay. Fine. Come closer.”

“What are you going to do?” Bart asked suspiciously, as he got up from the chair and moved toward Theo. Theo flapped his hands impatiently and before Bart knew what was happening, Theo had grabbed him and pulled him close, kissing him thoroughly on the lips.

Bart had kissed other people before. Those experiences had been perfectly adequate. Good, even. Theo’s kiss wasn’t like that. It was rough, hasty, in all ways an attack on Bart’s senses. And when he pulled away, he saw Theo was grinning at him, the picture of smugness.

“What — why did you do that?” Bart sputtered.

“You’re such an uptight little prick, I thought you could do with a little loosening up.”

“You’re an asshole. I’m not a prick. And don’t kiss people without permission.” 

There was a host of replies that Theo could say now and Bart could see him go through them. Theo’s face was too expressive, it was annoying. Weren’t WASPy sons of bitches supposed to be emotionally closed off or something? But no -- Theo looked speculative, annoyed and then, settled on steely determination. 

“All right then. Let me kiss you.” Theo lunged toward him and Bart pushed him back. They were impossibly tangled up together now, with Theo’s arms around his waist and his thighs snug against Theo’s sides. No matter how much Bart tried to wriggle out, Theo held him fast. 

“Why should I?” Bart asked him, his teeth almost barred. “You don’t like me. You’re doing this to punish me. Fuck off.” 

“I don’t _need_ to punish myself by kissing a self-hating idiot who gets a hard-on because someone kissed them.” 

Theo let Bart go, only to stick a hand under Bart’s waistband, not letting his gaze drop. Theo’s mouth twisted into a grin, ugly for how beautiful his features were. “But you see the beauty of the situation is that I _want_ to be.” 

“And what you want is the only thing that matters, right?” Bart said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. 

He was getting more naked by the minute, Theo stripping off his clothes with practiced ease. His jacket was first to go, and then his shirt, and then his undershirt. Bart shivered. The room was cold except for the heat of Theo’s body. The school had a philosophical reluctance to properly heat their buildings — probably leftover Calvinist feeling that sufferings improved the young.

“How many years have you watched me, Bart? I’m just giving you a chance to see what you were missing.”

“You’re a goddamn saint,” Bart said with a grim smile. “Fine. Fuck it, you’re right. I have always wanted to. Might as well do it now.”

Then he pulled away from Theo’s grasp and went to the door. There was a doorstop on the floor — he used it to jam the door closed. 

Theo was waiting, shivering slightly, in his bed. When Bart came to him, Theo pulled him down. They kissed. It didn’t feel as resentful as it could have been. When Theo pulled away, he was very smug.

Bart wondered if he was going to kick him out now, saying he’d gotten what he wanted. But apparently not, as Theo’s next words were: “All right. Now take off your pants.”

Bart did it, his fingers fumbling with his belt and the buttons on his waistband. Theo leaned back, content to watch. His gaze wasn’t hostile, at least, but Bart felt almost unbearably vulnerable in front of him.

It wasn’t as if he’d never been naked in front of Theo — they’d grown up together, pretty much, though their friendship was always characterized by starts and stops, Theo coming in and out of Bart’s life as he willed. Nonetheless, the other times hadn’t been like this. 

Theo’s gaze swept over him critically. “All right,” he said with a sigh. “I see what we’re working with. Not bad, Rangel.”

Bart stuck out his tongue, even as he knew it was a terribly childish reaction.

Really, Theo always brought the worst in him. They’d known each other since they were eleven. His mother hadn’t been wrong in suggesting they see less of each other. 

He had thought that coming to Warren would mean that he wouldn’t see Theo again, but that had all come crashing down this fall. Theo had appeared on campus on the first day of school, as fresh as ever. Bart realized then that he simply couldn’t escape him. Not that Theo had come specifically for him — he wasn’t that much of a planner, nor was he that malicious. At least, Bart didn’t think so.

All right, enough stalling. So, Theo’s dick was big as hell. Bart already knew that. He thought no one could be as smug as Theo was without a reason.

“You better not make me regret this,” he muttered as he crawled into Theo’s bed.

Theo laughed and slapped his ass. “Attaboy.”

At first, Bart had genuinely thought he was going to lie there and have Theo work on him. He’d agreed to do it — that should be enough, shouldn’t it?

Apparently not — Theo looked at him critically. “Do really think you can fuck just by lying there? Are you a virgin, Bart?”

“Yeah, I’m saving myself for marriage,” Bart replied. Theo snorted and began to jack him off. Theo’s hands were callused — Bart wondered at that. What had he been up to in the years that they hadn’t met?

The handjob was good — too good. Theo knew what he was doing -- no guesses on how or when he learned -- but even as Bart gave himself over to pleasure, he had a niggling feeling in the back of his head that he shouldn’t. He shouldn’t, but it felt so good to have someone touch him like that -- even if that person was Theo. 

Of course he shouldn’t. Bart realized that it would take more brain power to justify all of this to himself than he currently had. He would have time for recriminations later. He grabbed Theo’s hand. “Let me finish in your mouth,” he muttered. 

Theo grinned at him, smugly pleased about how the entire evening had shaken out. “All right. It’ll cost you, but we can talk about that later.” He bent down and took the tip of Bart’s cock into his pink, pouting mouth. No one should be able to suck cock with aplomb, but Theo attempted it. He took Bart’s cock in deeper, pulling back for a moment before doing it again. 

Bart held the back of his head, enjoying the smoothness of Theo’s hair. Was it darker now than it had been? Was that a stupid thing to wonder? 

He felt his orgasm building as Theo sucked him off. If his brain had been different, he could shut off and just enjoy it. But he was what he was, when he heard the sound of someone coming down the hall, he jerked forward just as Theo was pulling away. His come squirted out and hit Theo’s face and neck.

“Fuck, fuck, sorry,” Bart said, trying to wipe it off as he listened intently to the sound outside the door. There was a group of boys who seemed to have congregated outside Theo’s door, chatting amongst themselves. Bart realized that Theo was very quiet and also that he was holding on to him, hard.

“Visitors of yours?” Bart muttered to Theo, who rolled his eyes. The group moved on and Bart let him go, wiping off the come from his hands onto the bed sheet.

“All right, enough of that,” Theo said coolly. “Get out of my room.” 

So Bart did. He felt -- guilty, and bad and when he finally got to bed, his dreams were filled with Theo. 

*

The next couple of days were torture for Bart. He seemed to see Theo everywhere. Behind him in the line to the restroom. Goofing off in the library and laughing when Bart reprimanded him. Theo had no respect for authority or anything else. He did what he wanted and people let him get away with it because he -- he was what he was, rich and charming and handsome. Apparently. 

Bart hated him. Probably. He couldn’t get him out of his head, definitely. 

*

“Yeah,” Bart said, twisting the phone cord around his finger. “I got your care package, thank you.” He was leaning against the door of the principal’s office. He had five minutes to talk to his mother, but today his attention was divided.

“What about that Far Side calendar? Did you get that?”

“Ma, why are you sending me a calendar in the middle of April? 1992’s almost over.”

“Plenty of jokes and time left. But they combined Saturday and Sunday together, can you believe it?” she asked.

“You’re not getting your ten dollars’ worth,” Bart agreed. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around, an annoyed exclamation already on his lips. It was Theo. 

Bart tapped on the egg-timer next to the phone. “I have three minutes.”

“Who is it?” Dolores asked.

“It’s nobody,” Bart replied and felt Theo’s eyes digging into the back of his neck. His mother sighed and said that she had to go and would call next week. Theo grabbed the receiver as soon as the line clicked off. 

“Making a date?” Bart asked, not moving from his spot. Theo shoved him away but Bart hooked his hand into Theo’s jacket and pulled him along. They both slammed against the door and Theo pushed himself against Bart. 

“Aren’t you supposed to stop fights, Rangel? Not start them.” Theo’s mouth hovered close to his and Bart wanted to bite at it. But Theo was right, of course. Bart tried retreating, but he didn’t have anywhere to go. Theo was pressing too close to him. 

“What are you doing?” Bart asked, feeling his mouth go dry. 

“Meet me in the changing closet in the music hall in thirty minutes.” Theo bit his lower lip, but he didn’t smile. He seemed to be seriously contemplating -- something. “We can keep going, after.” 

“Like I would,” Bart sputtered. 

Thirty minutes later, he was in the changing closet in the music hall -- completely alone. He told himself it wasn’t disappointment he felt, really. It made sense that Theo would be a liar on top of everything else, but -- 

But that he had fallen for it was another, much more terrible thing. 

*

The sound of splashing echoed weirdly through the natatorium, as well as gasps of the swimmers as they reached the surface. Bart, sitting on the sidelines, felt his mind go off into the land of daydreams. He’d been roped into keeping times for the swim team today, and he had never regretted agreeing to something more. Well, _agreeing_ was a strong word for it. Kirkpatrick had practically forced him to do it.

The entire feeling of the natatorium was depressing -- it was located in the basement of the gymnasium building because people in the past had the worst ideas. 

At least his job was over. As soon as Kirkpatrick was free, he would give him the times and get out of here. 

“Hey,” said a familiar voice. Bart ignored him, concentrating on making little checkmarks on each name that had good enough times to qualify for regionals this year. “Bart, stop ignoring me.” 

Theo loomed over him, still dripping wet despite the big, fluffy towel he’d slung over his shoulders. “Don’t be so pissy. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bart said, annoying. “Could you please move back? You’re getting humidity on the pages.” 

Theo stooped down and whispered in Bart’s ear. “If you can stop being a dick for one minute, I’ll let you fuck me. In the old locker room upstairs.” 

Then he straightened up and grinned. “You know, so you can practice for your future loveless marriage.”

Bart didn’t reply. Instead, he spotted Kirkpatrick and handed him the paper. When he went back to the bleachers to get his bag, Theo was waiting. 

“Lead the way,” Bart said. Theo gave him a mock salute, and off they went. Bart had a study group he should’ve gone to and no doubt Theo had something to do as well, but what did it matter? It went without saying that he didn’t expect anything to come from this.

Theo would ditch him again and Bart could write him off for good. He could finally let go of the old fascination he’d nursed for so long. His friends already questioned why he had such a vendetta against Theo but what they didn’t understand was —

It wasn’t a vendetta or an obsession. It was just something he would have to get over, as soon as he could. 

The old locker room was a depressing place, smelling of rusty lockers and the must of disused space. Theo apparently had made it into his little kingdom, as he moseyed over to a locker and took some things out — notably some lube and a pair of condoms. He left his towel drying on the rack and looked over at Bart quizzically. “You gonna fuck fully dressed?”

“It stinks here,” Bart said, taking off his jacket and folding it neatly on the bench in front of Theo’s locker. He was loosening his belt when Theo made a noise half way between a snort and a sigh.

“Hold on,” he said. “I have to shower. Can you wait?”

“What else have I been doing?” Bart asked, honestly curious. Theo shook his head and went off toward the showers. Bart dropped his belt next to his jacket and followed him. 

The showers in the old locker room had been designed to give minimal privacy, with a low tiled wall separating it from the changing area. Theo chose the one at the very end, and Bart leaned against the wall, watching him. 

Theo’s body was a work of beauty. Bart could admit that, at least to himself. It was a pleasure to watch him, to see the lines of his back move, until he turned around to face him. 

“Don’t you hate it? The stuff they say about you?” Bart asked, raising his voice so it could be heard over the shower. 

Theo quirked an eyebrow at him. “You mean the stuff you say?” 

“You know I’d rather do it to your face,” Bart replied. “I’m an honest guy.” 

“Sure. Come on then,” Theo said, motioning over to him. “No time like the present.”

Bart glanced at the door. “Someone could come in.”

“No one uses this place. We’re perfectly fine.”

Bart had a choice. Scoff at Theo and leave, put the whole thing behind him. This time next year, he would be in an entirely different part of the country. None of this would mean anything.

But he would always be — curious. Morbidly so. And always yearning for something he knew he shouldn’t want. So it made sense that he would choose to go forward. 

Bart took off his pants and underwear and folded them and put them on the wall. He approached Theo like he would a wild tiger, but his caution was for nothing — Theo turned down the water and grabbed him. They kissed roughly and then Theo pushed Bart to his knees.

“Why didn’t you take off your shirt?” Theo asked him, his thumb caressing the bottom of Bart’s lip. Bart shrugged and opened his mouth. He sucked on Theo’s thumb and then the rest of his fingers. Theo pulled out his cock and nudged it against Bart’s check, Bart let out a long breath. He was shaking, and not because of the water.

Theo withdrew his fingers and replaced them with his cock. Bart licked the tip of his cock and pulled Theo’s hips towards him. He felt heat building in his body and the feeling of Theo’s hands, resting gently on his head, didn’t help things.

There was no grace to it, just hunger and need. Theo jerked his hips so his cock would go deeper into Bart’s throat. Bart pulled off, heart racing. Their eyes met and Bart sneered and licked the undersides of Theo’s hard cock. 

Theo came quietly, which in the back of Bart’s mind, he was surprised at. He came in Bart’s mouth and muttered a sheepish apology. He turned off the water as Bart spat out the come into the drain. 

Theo pulled him up and wrapped his arms around Bart. It felt good, having skin on skin. Theo stroked his face like he was a beloved pet. It didn’t annoy Bart as much as it should have. “Do you want to fuck me, Bart -- or do you want me to take care of you?”

“First time either way,” Bart said wryly. Theo looked at him expectantly. “I think -- okay, you can do it.” 

“Wonderful,” Theo said, with the sweetest smile on his face. He reached under Bart’s soaked shirt and flicked at his nipple. He smiled at Bart’s annoyed look. “You won’t regret it.” 

Bart swallowed hard and let himself be backed against the wall. Theo brought out a much-used tube of lubricant and squeezed out what seemed like too much into his palm. 

At his questioning look, Theo shook his head. “You’ll need it.” He used some of it to slick Bart’s cock, bringing him to hardness. Bart felt an incredible need to come, but he tried to resist it. 

“Let it happen, Bart,” Theo murmured and leaned against him. Their foreheads touched for a moment before they kissed again. It was a sweet moment, which immediately turned when Theo flipped Bart around so he was facing the wall. 

The coldness of the tile brought him back to himself. What the fuck was he doing? If anyone came in, his reputation would be as bad as Theo’s, if not worse. Could he stand that — would he be able to take it?

“Don’t get too tense,” Theo warned him, his breath warm against Bart’s cheek. He was fingering Bart’s hole, putting more lube into it. Bart felt himself clench up, but Theo only sighed and squeezed his ass and then slapped it. Bart gasped in shock, and felt the lube trickle in, although with Theo’s blunt, large fingers.

He’d never noticed how big Theo’s were — at least until now. 

“Fuck,” he muttered and Theo reached around and began to jerk him off. “Theo —”

“It’s such a good, _good_ thing for uptight boys like you to get a dick inside of you,” Theo told him sweetly, as he worked to loosen Bart further. “I love it so much. It was worth the wait, Bart.”

Bart bit off a moan as he felt Theo’s cock rubbing up against the cleft of his ass. “So stop bragging and put it in. Dick.” 

Theo’s voice was fond when he said, “It might hurt a little but — stick it out, Bartholomew.”

Bart had never had sex. Never came close to it until this year. He hadn’t felt bad about his lack of experience, per se, but he hadn’t really minded it. It seemed like the sort of thing people who were totally unlike him did and enjoyed. People like Theo, who seemed to enjoy so much of life. Maybe Theo was right to enjoy things and Bart could learn something —

“Fuck! That hurts,” Bart gasped out as Theo gingerly inched himself inside. Theo grasped Bart’s hip and squeezed.

“It’ll get better. Mind over matter, right?”

“I don’t know why people think you’re good at this,” Bart replied as Theo picked up his pace. It felt strange, to know that there was another person that was so close to him — inside him — the intimacy of it was almost too much.

The tempo had changed — Theo picked up his pace and Bart pushed back against him. Between them, a rough sort of balance. Push and pull. Theo reached around and began to jerk him off.

Theo came first — that was to be expected, though the sudden jerk back and wetness on his ass woke Bart from his reverie. He turned to Theo and received a sloppy, enthusiastic kiss when suddenly the door to the locker room opened. 

Without thinking, Bart hit the floor and crawled toward the wall, where he would be hidden. Theo turned on the shower again.

“Hey! Offsteder, what are you doing here?” someone called out. Bart could hear the sounds of two people walking to the locker room.

“What does it look like?” Theo replied. He began to wash off his stomach, flicking off soap bubbles like he didn’t have a concern in the world.

“The VP is having kittens because he can’t find Rangel. Have you seen him?” asked the other boy. 

“Obviously not,” Theo said, turning around so the water hit his face.

“Offsteder’s too busy jerking off to notice anything. Did you see how hard he was?”

“Yeah, exactly. So how about you leave me to it? Check for Rangel in the library — that’s where his types go.”

“Whatever,” said the other boy. Bart held still until he heard the footsteps retreat and the door close. After a few more moments, Theo motioned him to get up.

“Why did you call me a nerd? My type can be found in the library?” Bart said sullenly. He took Theo’s soap from him and washed off his hands and knees.

“That’s what you’re upset about?” Theo started laughing. “God. You’re really impossible, Bart.” 

*

He didn’t change in a fundamental way. Bart still did his duty, although in the half-hearted way of all graduating seniors everywhere. He wanted to go forward so badly that even feeling a moment of regret felt like a betrayal of the future. Even so, he wanted to ask Theo what his plans were for the following summer. On the wall in front of him a clock ticked down, to the end of this and the beginning of something new. 

When he felt the tap on his shoulder, Bart didn’t turn around immediately and sneer like he would’ve before. He let Theo slide into the seat next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. It was obvious that he wanted to talk. But Bart was comfortable enough to let the silence go on, as the afternoon sun painted the classroom gold. A few more notes and that was that. 

“I’m thinking about summer. Do you want to stay in the city? My parents wouldn’t mind if I brought someone home. They’d like you -- they’d hope you can keep me in line.” 

“Not likely though, is it?” Bart asked with a smile. 

“Nope. How about it?” 

“I should --” Bart hesitated before he said, “Yeah. I’d like that.” 

Theo kissed his cheek and let himself be shoved away. “Perfect.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Title from an amusing daguerreotype: [source.](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/283471) Why that title? Truly, why not.


End file.
